Category Archives: Silliness

If you have small children and you are potty training, perhaps even trying to explain the normalcy of bowel movements, it’s likely then that you have the book “Everyone Poops”. While it guarantees gales of giggles with every read, it also teaches children that everyone and every living thing, well, poops.

It’s really no big deal, right?

Of course with two boys it is no surprise that “Everyone Poops” is a bedtime favorite around here. However. My husband has brought this book to life a bit, and I am sure he is not the only husband who has. My husband likes to add certain sound effects while reading “Everyone Poops”. I have never made said sound effects while reading it myself (yeah, I’m such a lady) but thats ok. My boys will make the sounds for me. With sprays of spit and rattling raspberries, all three of them have become very talented at poop sounds while hopefully learning that yes, in fact, everyone poops. Maybe the youngest will finally be inspired enough to someday put his poop in the potty. Maybe.

In the meantime, here is a quick video I made of my husband and the example he has set for our children with the book “Everyone Poops”. Never underestimate what complexities a father can pass on to his children.

The countdown in on – there are less than two weeks until Barack Obama is elected president! And this liberal mom thinks the occasion calls for a celebration. If you are as excited as I am, and game for a get together, here are some ideas to host your own fabulously patriotic inauguration party.

Plan the Party

First thing’s first however: unfortunately, the date and time are not exactly “party-worthy”. The inauguration will be held on Tuesday, January 20th and President-elect Obama will officially be sworn in at noon. A parade will follow that afternoon and of course, all major networks will be covering the event. (Even Nickelodeon will be covering the event with young reporters!)

But back to the issue. Noon on a Tuesday is not exactly the time to host a hugely impressive gala. So there are a few options to consider.

If you are home that day, host a fun get together with other parents who are home also

If you usually work, consider playing hooky – and tell your partner to do the same

Have a Tuesday night BBQ or early get together to celebrate

Host an inaugural ball of your own the weekend before or after

Invitations

Now that you have decided what kind of party works best for you, it’s time to think about the invites. Sure, it’s a little late, but if your friends are as fired up to celebrate this event as I am, they will leap at the chance to ring in this new presidency. But since the date is coming up fast, consider sending evites. My Punchbowl is my favorite alternative to Evite and it has some fabulous invites at their site.

Regarding who you invite, obviously invite folks who share your own political views. But please consider inviting those that don’t also. In the spirit of bringing this nation together to solve these upcoming issues as Americans, make sure your invites go out to friends of yours on both sides of the political fence.

Decorations

Obviously, as we are all feeling patriotic, you should decorate in red, white and blue. I would also consider adding some sparkle to your event, especially if you hold your event at night. Get creative and recycle red table cloths you may still have from Christmas or some glittery decorations from New Years. String up a few Christmas lights with your red, white and blue too!

Food

The possibilities for food options are endless. You could go with traditionally American foods such as hot dogs and apple pie. Since Obama is from Hawaii, you could serve traditional Hawaiian foods. Ehow offers some great ideas:

“You can choose fun themed foods such as ‘Buffalo LEFT Wings,’ or how about some ‘Campaign Trail Mix?’ Other ideas that are clever include: ‘Lipsticked Pigs In a Blanket,’ ‘Sloppy Joe Bidens’, ‘Barack of Lamb’, and ‘Shredded Pork (Barrel) Sandwiches.’… Keeping the fun theme going for the drinks, why not create a shot and call them ‘Cheney Shooters.’”

I would also consider serving some of Obama’s favorite foods. He is a big fan of Italian pizza. Also, NPR found recipes for some of his favorite Mexican dishes.

Apparently Obama’s favorite beer is Bud Lite which is easy enough to serve. And I would throw in some Busch beer too, just for fun. But what are some other patriotic, theme appropriate drinks to serve? You can find 10 “all American” cocktail ideas at Fine Living.com. Also, here is a fun recipe for Patriotic Punch. And then Hawaiian themed cocktails are also fun, and probably very welcome in the midst of winter.

DivaGirl offers some fun Inauguration games including having guests participate in some presidential trivia. While your group watches Obama’s speech, Ehow shares Bingobama. Print out copies for everyone!

Don’t forget about the kids – they may want to be a part of the inaugural fun as well! Kaboose.com has some excellent ideas such as making your own parade stick, presidential coloring pages and fun family quizzes.

Before this blogger voted, she was simply a sad head case. Bad outgrown hair with pathetic remnants from last spring’s highlights. Lost in frenzied election news coverage, holiday preparations and various deadlines. Blogging here and there – just to cope. Wringing her hands and ever stressed, would she make it to the polls? Would she ever have the chance to brave the lines without her two year old in tow? Would she ever finally have her say in this utterly insane national event we call the Presidential election?

And now look at her! She voted and – VOILA! – she is a new woman! With decently presentable hair too! Even after her backyard was demolished by a pack of hogs (see left of picture below), she is positive, she is hopeful, she believes her vote made a difference.

And you know what else this blogger got with her voter makeover? A new gig. This voting mama is writing over at Being Savvy Tampa now. Come check me out whenever you’d like. I am over there everyday.

So my point is – go vote. You never know how casting your ballot might change your life! I know the haircut and new blogging gig were a happy coincendence (…Or were they? Perhaps I have earned good voters karma?) but here’s hoping you get the same positive outlook afterwards… but without the pack of hogs.

As I write this post, I am watching my usual political pundits review today’s electoral goings on. They are updating me about the sound bites, the polls, the accusations and the tensions sourrounding this presidential campaign. Like so many Americans these days, I am all kinds of fired up. Posts of the liberal kind are tumbling around in my brain, willing my fingers to type.

*Deep breaths*

Enough already, its time to take it down a notch. For a change of pace, I would like to share some election fun with you. Lets have some laughs, let’s allow for some silliness and enjoy some light hearted looks at this presidential campaign so far. Not convinced yet? I’ll even promise you some ice cream for your troubles. So turn off those pundits, read on and have a laugh – I know I sure need to.

So, here is what I am going to do. Over the past couple weeks, I have been collecting funny links that have given me a chuckle. Mostly, my finds are of the democratic and Obama persuation, but all are worth a look and a laugh.

Halloween and Obama come together at this wonderful site: Yes We Carve. Do you have a hankering to carve a Barack-o-latern? Find the pumpkin sculptor within you and then post your pictures at their site. They even have stencils you can download for a more easy carving experience!

I don’t know about you, but I sure could use a calming, life sized likeness of Obama for my living room. On tough election days, days like today when I hear McCain is eeking out a lead over Obama in my state of Florida, this might be exactly what I need. BO can stare at me across the room and assure me that his lead in the polls will remain. Perhaps his likeness could inspire even my children: “Yes, we *CAN* eat our broccoli!” (Cue cheers, signs and confetti now.)

Did you realize your vote counts not only for your family and your children – but your vote counts for your pets too? Grab your pooch, some kleenex and get all patriotic while watching this “Pets for Obama” YouTube clip. Oh and don’t leave the dog out of election fun either with this cute t-shirt.

Have you ever played the game Stratego? Well, have you ever wanted to play a presidential election style stratego-like video game? Well, now you can at miniclip.com! You pick you presidential nominee and then you can choose your staff, each armed with their own under-handed campaign skills. Your mission? To gain the control over each U.S. region and eventually win all of your nation’s votes. Beware, this game is hard – but fun for the campaign manager hiding in each of us!

In case you have been living on the moon and have NOT seen any of the Saturday Night Live bits, NBC has all of their videos online for your viewing pleasure. Make their site a favorite and replay them when O’Reilly has you screaming into your couch pillow again. (Or am I the only one who does that?)

And finally, the funniest bits of election humor I have seen yet are the speeches both John McCain and Barack Obama gave last week at the Alfred E. Smith fundraiser dinner. Of course, I thought Obama’s was better (shocking, I know) but I would encourage you to watch both. On the evening following a very stressful debate, both candidates proved that they could find some very funny common ground during this event.

My friends (to quote a certain republican nominee), it’s been a very long, exhausting, emotional election year. And with only days left until November 4th, I don’t expect it will get much easier. Let’s try to take a moment, find the humor in all that we do, and be good to our neighbors – no matter whose political sign they’ve got posted out on their front lawns.

Last night, my husband and I found our son on the couch looking through a book. Nothing too surprising about that except for the fact that it wasn’t T’s book, it was my husband’s. And what is my husband reading about? How to write a dissertation. B. is completing his MBA and is currently working on his thesis. Anyway, so we found T. reading his book. We both chuckled. I said “Quick! Grab my camera!” Thinking the moment would last a minute before he went back to jumping off the couch into his pile of bean bag chairs, just like he does on most nights at home before bath time.

Then I realized he was actually trying to read it.

“Daddy, what does ’empower’ mean?”

And while B. grappled with that one, I – being the Mommy that I am – just kept taking pictures while he tried to figure that stuff out.

And then I get this look.

So we left him be. I guess he had some reading to do. B. went to prep dinner, I went and changed.

But then I came back to the living room to find him STILL reading. About dissertations. Completely engrossed. Just like this.

And once again, my children achieve what was once considered an IMPOSSIBLE feat. They render me utterly speechless.

Are you looking for that special one-of-a-kind shellac to glue down and seal up all of your household knick knacks? Are you tired of cheap Elmer’s glue that peels off or expensive crazy glues that never work anyway?

Try Cheerio Glue.

Discovered by a mother of two boys, she swears by her now famous product.

“For years now, I have been trying to pry hardened Cheerios off my wood table or tiled floors. It took my 6 ft 4″ husband – and my GOOD butter knives – to get those gosh darn cheerios unstuck. And then I thought, ‘Well, why not put Cheerios to good use?'”

And she did. Now she glues everything in her house with Cheerio Glue. Chairs don’t slide across the floor anymore. The cat bowl stays in place. Good thing she likes TV because her new flat screen TV is now permanently part of her wall. She even created a tiled mosiac pattern of cheerios on the floor of her guest bathroom.

“All my guests comment on the originality – and permanence – of my art. Right now I am working on bedazzeling all my rugs with Cheerios. The kids are a great help just by eating their breakfast while I work. It’s fun for the whole family. Shoot, I can’t wait to see the reactions of my in laws when they come for the holidays!”

Broken coffee mugs, snapped pencils and busted plastic toys are all stuck back together, good as new, with a little Cheerio Glue.

And the best part about it? It’s easy and its cheap. Just pour a bowl of Cheerios, add milk and there ya have it. The liquid that forms at the bottom of your bowl can be used to glue anything your little heart desires. Simply drizzle it and wait. Before you know it, you will have a hard, fused, clear seal that no household cleaner can penetrate. Ever.

“Jr. is thrilled to know he can fix his broken Nintendo controller he smashed in a fit of rage. Now he just eats some Cheerios, drizzles it on and, VOILA, good as new. It really teaches him he can do anything if he puts his mind to it. Now he’s gotten all the way to level 78 on Super Galactic Mega Mario Brothers! Even when he gets real real mad at it. I am so proud.”

Impressive stuff. Not only that, the Government is currently testing it’s strength as a super powered protective coating for armored tanks – a little something from home on those tanks that actually protects our men. And did ya hear? Rumor has it Governor Palin has been adding some to her hairspray for those “power Gov” doos she sports – leave it to another mom to put Cheerio Glue to use in something meaningful!

I bet you are dying to get your hands on some Cheerio Glue right now. Well, go out and buy yourself some Cheerios! And if you mail in 254 Cheerio box UPC symbols by November 1, we’ll send you a handy little plastic bottle to store your glue in!

But wait there’s more!

If you act now, we’ll throw in an extra glue bottle and even some Palin Cheerio Hair spray!

Nothing is more American that Cheerios, so go make some glue today and show the world how full of shellac we really are!